TW202044000A - Touch panel and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A manufacturing method of a touch panel includes providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a display area and a peripheral area. A metal layer and a metal nanowire layer are disposed. The first portion of the metal nanowire layer is disposed in the display area. The second portion of the metal nanowire layer and the metal layer are in the peripheral area. A patterned layer having a pattern is disposed. A patterning operation is performed according to the patterned layer. The patterning operation includes forming the metal layer into a plurality of peripheral leads and simultaneously forming the second portion of the metal layer into a plurality of etching layers, using an etching solution which can etch the metal layer and the metal nanowire layer. A touch panel is further provided.

Description

Touch panel and manufacturing method thereof

The invention relates to a touch panel and a manufacturing method thereof.

In recent years, transparent conductors can allow light to pass through at the same time and provide appropriate conductivity, so they are often used in many display or touch-related devices. Generally speaking, the transparent conductor can be various metal oxides, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), cadmium tin oxide (Cadmium Tin Oxide, CTO) or aluminum-doped oxide. Zinc (Aluminum-doped Zinc Oxide, AZO). However, these metal oxide films cannot meet the flexibility requirements of display devices. Therefore, a variety of flexible transparent conductors have been developed today, such as transparent conductors made of materials such as nanowires.

However, the nanowire process technology has many problems that need to be solved. For example, the process of touch panels mostly uses exposure and development steps, and then removes unnecessary parts of the metal according to the pattern, and the double-sided electrode is made In the process, the interference problem of double-sided exposure must be overcome.

Furthermore, the use of nanowires to make touch electrodes, nanowires and surrounding areas During the alignment of the lead, it is necessary to reserve an alignment error area. The alignment error area causes the lead size of the peripheral area to be unable to be reduced, resulting in a larger width of the peripheral area, especially the use of roll to roll (Roll to Roll) ) Process, the deformation of the substrate causes the size of the alignment error area to be enlarged (such as 150um), so that the minimum width of the peripheral area is only 2.5mm, so the narrow frame requirement of the display cannot be met.

In some embodiments of the present invention, by patterning the material on the metal nanowire layer or metal layer, the metal nanowire layer or metal layer can be directly patterned without additional exposure and development steps. , In order to achieve the purpose of simplifying the process, and then control the production cost.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal nanowire layer and the metal layer are etched at one time, so as to achieve the effect of not needing to reserve an alignment error area when alignment is required to form a peripheral lead with a smaller width, and then Meet the needs of narrow bezels.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a touch panel is characterized by comprising: a substrate, wherein the substrate has a display area and a peripheral area; a plurality of peripheral leads are arranged in the peripheral area; a plurality of first coverings, The first coverings cover the peripheral leads; and a touch sensing electrode disposed in the display area of the substrate, the touch sensing electrode is electrically connected to the peripheral leads, wherein the first coverings and the The touch sensing electrodes include metal nanowires; a patterned layer is patterned on the first coverings and the touch sensing electrodes, and the patterned layer has a printed side surface.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the patterned layer and the first coverings form a first composite structure, or the patterned layer and the touch sensing electrode form a second composite structure.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the first covering has a side surface, the side surface and a side surface of the peripheral leads are a common etching surface, and the common etching surface and the printing side surface are aligned with each other.

In some embodiments of the present invention, it further includes a plurality of marks disposed in the peripheral area and a plurality of second coverings covering the marks, wherein the second coverings include metal nanowires.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the second covering has a side surface, the side surface and a side surface of the marks are a common etching surface, and the common etching surface and the printing side surface are aligned with each other.

In some embodiments of the present invention, it further includes: a film layer.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the peripheral leads and the marks are made of metal materials. The peripheral leads are made of the same layer of metal material as marked.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a manufacturing method of a touch panel is characterized by comprising: providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a display area and a peripheral area; and disposing a metal layer and a metal nanowire layer, wherein A first portion of the metal nanowire layer is located in the display area, a second portion of the metal nanowire layer and the metal layer are located in the peripheral area; a patterned layer with a pattern is provided; and according to the patterned layer Perform a patterning step, wherein the patterning step includes using the metal layer and the metal An etching solution for the nanowire layer forms the metal layer into a plurality of peripheral leads and simultaneously forms a plurality of etching layers on the second part of the metal layer.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the patterning step further includes using the etching solution to form the first portion of the metal nanowire layer into a touch sensing electrode, and the touch sensing electrode is disposed on the display area of the substrate , The touch sensing electrode is electrically connected to the peripheral leads.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the patterned layer is formed by flexographic printing, relief printing, gravure printing or screen printing.

In some embodiments of the present invention, disposing the metal layer and the metal nanowire layer includes: disposing the metal layer in the peripheral area; and then disposing the metal nanowire layer in the display area and the peripheral area, the The first part is located in the display area and formed on the substrate, and the second part is located in the peripheral area and formed on the metal layer.

In some embodiments of the present invention, disposing the metal layer in the peripheral area includes: selectively forming the metal layer in the peripheral area but not in the display area.

In some embodiments of the present invention, disposing the metal layer in the peripheral area includes: forming the metal layer in the peripheral area and the display area; and removing the metal layer located in the display area.

In some embodiments of the present invention, disposing the patterned layer with a pattern includes disposing the patterned layer on the metal nanowire layer, and the patterned layer and the metal nanowire layer form a composite structure.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the patterning step further includes using the etching solution to form a plurality of marks on the metal layer, and the etching layers include A plurality of first coverings and a plurality of second coverings, each of the first coverings is arranged on the corresponding peripheral leads, and each of the second coverings is arranged on the corresponding marks.

In some embodiments of the present invention, disposing the metal layer and the metal nanowire layer includes: disposing the metal nanowire layer in the display area and the peripheral area; and then disposing the metal layer in the peripheral area, wherein The metal layer is on the second part.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the patterning step further includes using the etching solution to form a plurality of marks on the metal layer. The etching layers include a plurality of first intermediate layers and a plurality of second intermediate layers. The first intermediate layer is arranged between the corresponding peripheral leads and the substrate, and each of the second intermediate layers is arranged between the corresponding marks and the substrate.

In some embodiments of the present invention, after the step of patterning, it further includes removing the patterned layer.

In some embodiments of the present invention, it further includes providing a film layer.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the manufacturing method can be performed on one side or both sides of the substrate.

100: Touch panel

110: substrate

120: peripheral lead

122: side

124: upper surface

140: mark

142: side

144: upper surface

130: Membrane

136: Non-conductive area

160: mask wire

170: flexible circuit board

ML: Metal layer

NWL: Metal Nanowire Layer

PL: Patterned layer

M1: the first middle layer

M1L: side

M2: The second middle layer

M2L: side

VA: Display area

PA: Surrounding area

BA: junction area

TE1: The first touch electrode

TE2: second touch electrode

TE: touch electrode

C1: first cover

C1L: side

C2: second cover

C2L: side

D1: First direction

D2: second direction

1A to 1C are schematic diagrams of steps of a manufacturing method of a touch panel according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a touch panel according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 2.

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of the touch panel and the flexible circuit board after assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a touch panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of a touch panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 5.

6A to 6C are schematic diagrams of steps of a manufacturing method of a touch panel according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of a touch panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 7.

Fig. 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 7.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a touch panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic top view of a touch panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 9.

FIG. 10 is a schematic top view of a touch panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a number of embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed in the form of drawings. For clear description, many practical details will be described in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details should not be used to limit the present invention. That is, in some embodiments of the present invention, these practical details are unnecessary. In addition, in order to simplify the drawings, some conventional structures and elements will be shown in the drawings in a simple way.

Regarding the "about", "approximately" or "approximately" used in this article, the error or range of the index value is generally within 20%, preferably within 10%, and more preferably Within five percent. If there is no clear description in the text, the values mentioned are regarded as approximate values, that is, they have the error or range indicated by "about", "approximately" or "approximately".

Please refer to FIGS. 2 to 2B first, which are schematic top views and schematic cross-sectional views of the touch panel 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The touch panel 100 includes a substrate 110, a peripheral lead 120, a first cover C1, a patterned layer PL, and a touch sensing electrode TE. Referring to Figure 2, the substrate 110 has a display area VA and a peripheral area PA. The peripheral area PA is arranged on the side of the display area VA. For example, the peripheral area PA can be arranged around the display area VA (that is, covering the right, left, and upper sides). And the lower side), but in other embodiments, the peripheral area PA may be an L-shaped area disposed on the left and lower sides of the display area VA. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, there are a total of eight sets of peripheral leads 120 and the first cover C1 corresponding to the peripheral leads 120 are disposed on the peripheral area PA of the substrate 110; the touch sensing electrode TE is generally disposed on the substrate 110 Display area VA.

By using the patterned layer PL for pattern transfer, the first cover C1 can be disposed on the upper surface 124 of the peripheral lead 120, so that the first cover C1 and the peripheral lead 120 can be formed without aligning the upper and lower layers of materials. In a predetermined position, it is possible to reduce or avoid the need for setting a bit error area in the process, thereby reducing the width of the peripheral area PA, thereby achieving the narrow frame requirement of the display.

The touch panel 100 further includes a mark 140 and a second cover C2. Referring to FIG. 2, the present embodiment has two sets of marks 140 and a second cover C2 corresponding to the marks 140 are disposed on the peripheral area PA of the substrate 110. The number of the aforementioned peripheral leads 120, marks 140, first cover C1, second cover C2, and touch sensing electrode TE can be one or more, and the numbers drawn in the following specific embodiments and drawings are only For illustrative purposes, the invention is not limited.

Specifically, referring to FIGS. 1A to 1C, the touch panel 100 in the embodiment of the present invention can be fabricated in the following manner: first, a substrate 110 is provided, on which there is a predefined peripheral area PA and a display area VA. Next, a metal layer ML is formed in the peripheral area PA (as shown in Figure 1A); then a metal nanowires layer NWL is formed in the peripheral area PA and the display area VA (as shown in Figure 1B); and then a patterned layer PL is formed On the metal nanowire layer NWL (as shown in Figure 1C); then patterning is performed according to the patterned layer PL to form a patterned metal layer ML and a metal nanowire layer NWL. A more detailed description is given below.

Referring to Figure 1A, a metal layer ML is formed on the peripheral area PA of the substrate 110. The metal layer ML can be patterned to become a peripheral lead Line 120. In detail, in some embodiments of the present invention, the metal layer ML may be made of metal with better conductivity, preferably a single-layer metal structure, such as a silver layer, a copper layer, etc.; or a multilayer conductive structure, such as molybdenum/ Aluminum/molybdenum, copper/nickel, titanium/aluminum/titanium, molybdenum/chromium, etc., the above-mentioned metal structure is preferably opaque, for example, the light transmittance of visible light (such as a wavelength between 400nm-700nm) is less than About 90%.

In this embodiment, the aforementioned metal can be formed on the substrate 110 by a sputtering method (such as but not limited to physical sputtering, chemical sputtering, etc.). The metal layer ML can be directly and selectively formed in the peripheral area PA without being formed in the display area VA, or it can be formed in the peripheral area PA and the display area VA first, and then removed by etching and other steps in the display area VA. The metal layer ML.

In one embodiment, the copper layer is deposited on the peripheral area PA of the substrate 110 by electroless plating. The electroless plating means that the metal ions in the plating solution are catalyzed by the metal catalyst with the help of a suitable reducing agent without external current. It is reduced to metal and plated on the surface. This process is called electroless plating, also called chemical plating or autocatalytic plating. Therefore, the metal layer ML of this embodiment It can also be called electroless plating, electroless plating or autocatalytic plating. Specifically, for example, a plating solution whose main component is copper sulfate may be used, and its composition may be but not limited to: copper sulfate with a concentration of 5 g/L, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid with a concentration of 12 g/L. acid), formaldehyde with a concentration of 5g/L, the pH of the electroless copper plating solution is adjusted to about 11-13 with sodium hydroxide, and the bath temperature is About 50 to 70°C, the reaction time of soaking is 1 to 5 minutes. In one embodiment, a catalytic layer (not shown) may be formed on the peripheral area PA of the substrate 110 first. Since there is no catalytic layer in the display area VA, the copper layer is only deposited on the peripheral area PA and not formed in the display area. VA. During the electroless plating reaction, the copper material can nucleate on the catalytic layer with catalytic/activation ability, and then continue to grow the copper film by the self-catalysis of copper.

Next, referring to Figure 1B, the metal nanowire layer NWL including at least metal nanowires, such as silver nanowires layer, gold nanowires layer or copper nanowires nanowires) layer is coated on the peripheral area PA and the display area VA; the first part of the metal nanowire layer NWL is located in the display area VA, the first part is mainly formed on the substrate 110, and the second part of the peripheral area PA is mainly It is formed on the metal layer ML. In this embodiment, the specific method is as follows: a dispersion or slurry (ink) with metal nanowires is formed on the substrate 110 by a coating method and dried to coat the substrate 110 and the aforementioned metal layer with the metal nanowires. The surface of the ML is further formed into a metal nanowire layer NWL disposed on the substrate 110 and the aforementioned metal layer ML. After the above-mentioned curing/drying step, the solvent and other substances are volatilized, and the metal nanowires are randomly distributed on the surface of the substrate 110 and the aforementioned metal layer ML; preferably, the metal nanowires 140 are fixed on The metal nanowire layer NWL is formed on the surface of the substrate 110 and the aforementioned metal layer ML without falling off, and the metal nanowires can contact each other to provide a continuous current path, thereby forming a conductive network (conductive network) .

In the embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned dispersion may be water, alcohol, ketone, Ether, hydrocarbon or aromatic solvent (benzene, toluene, xylene, etc.); the above dispersion may also contain additives, surfactants or binders, such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), 2-hydroxy Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), sulfonate, sulfate, disulfonate, sulfosuccinate, phosphate or fluorine-containing interface activity Agent and so on. The dispersion or slurry containing metal nanowires can be formed on the surface of the substrate 110 and the aforementioned metal layer ML in any manner, such as but not limited to: screen printing, nozzle coating, roller coating, etc.; in a In an embodiment, a roll to roll (RTR) process may be used to coat the dispersion or slurry containing metal nanowires on the continuously supplied substrate 110 and the surface of the aforementioned metal layer ML.

As used herein, "metal nanowires" is a collective term that refers to a collection of metal wires containing multiple element metals, metal alloys or metal compounds (including metal oxides), which contain metal nanowires The number does not affect the scope of protection claimed by the present invention; and at least one cross-sectional dimension (ie, the diameter of the cross-section) of a single metal nanowire is less than about 500nm, preferably less than about 100nm, and more preferably less than about 50nm; and this The metal nanostructure called "wire" in the invention mainly has a high aspect ratio, for example, between about 10 and 100,000. More specifically, the aspect ratio (length: cross section) of the metal nanowire The diameter) can be greater than about 10, preferably greater than about 50, and more preferably greater than about 100; the metal nanowire can be any metal, including but not limited to silver, gold, copper, nickel, and gold-plated silver. And other terms, such as silk, fiber, tube If the same size and high aspect ratio as mentioned above are also covered by the present invention.

Next, referring to FIG. 1C, a patterned layer PL is formed on the metal nanowire layer NWL. In one embodiment, the patterned layer PL is formed on the metal nanowire layer NWL in a patterned structure using flexography technology; in other words, the patterned layer PL is formed on the working surface (in In this embodiment, the metal nanowire layer (NWL) already has a specific pattern, so there is no need to perform a patterning step for the coated material. According to one or more specific examples of the present invention, the above-mentioned patterned layer PL may be produced by a flexographic printing method, such as but not limited to the following printing devices. The flexographic printing equipment may at least include a feeding roller and a printing roller, and the printing roller It has a flexographic printing structure. In operation, the supply roller rotates to transfer the material to be printed from the supply tray to the supply roller; then as the supply roller rotates, the material to be printed is transferred to the flexographic printing structure; the flexographic printing structure may include specific The contact surface of the pattern to transfer the material to be printed to the metal nanowire layer NWL according to the specific pattern. In one embodiment, after the material to be printed is printed on the metal nanowire layer NWL, a curing step can be performed according to the characteristics of the material. In one embodiment, the patterned layer PL uses relief printing, gravure printing or screen printing to transfer the material to be printed onto the metal nanowire layer NWL according to a specific pattern. The patterned layer PL fabricated according to the foregoing method may have a printed side surface, which is different from the side surface processed and formed by traditional processes such as exposure, development or etching.

The patterned layer PL can be formed in the peripheral area PA according to the aforementioned method, and can also be formed in the peripheral area PA and the display area VA. Pattern located in the surrounding area PA The patterned layer PL (also known as the second patterned layer) is mainly used as an etching mask in the peripheral area PA for patterning the metal nanowire layer NWL and the metal layer ML in the peripheral area PA in the following steps, and is located The patterned layer PL (also called the first patterned layer) of the display area VA is mainly used as an etching mask of the display area VA for patterning the metal nanowire layer NWL of the display area VA in the following steps.

The embodiment of the present invention does not limit the material of the patterned layer PL (that is, the aforementioned material to be printed). For example, the polymer material includes the following: various photoresist materials, undercoating materials, outer coating materials, protective layer materials, and insulating materials. Layer materials, etc., and the polymer material can be phenolic resin, epoxy resin, acrylic resin, PU resin, ABS resin, amino resin, silicone resin, etc. In terms of material characteristics, the material of the patterned layer PL may be a photo-curing type or a heat-curing type. In one embodiment, the material of the patterned layer PL has a viscosity of about 200-1500 cps and a solid content of about 30-100%.

Then, patterning is performed, and after the patterning step, the touch panel 100 as shown in FIG. 2 can be manufactured. In one embodiment, an etching solution that can simultaneously etch the metal nanowire layer NWL and the metal layer ML is used in the peripheral area PA, and the etching mask formed by the patterned layer PL (also known as the second patterned layer) is used in the same In the process, a patterned metal layer ML and metal nanowire layer NWL are produced. As shown in Figures 2 and 2B, the patterned metal layer ML formed on the peripheral area PA is the peripheral circuit 120, and the patterned metal nanowire layer NWL constitutes the etching layer. Because of this embodiment The etching layer in the example is located on the peripheral circuit 120, so it can also be called the first cover C1; in other words, after the patterning step, the peripheral area PA is formed by metal nano The first cover C1 formed by the second part of the line layer NWL and the peripheral circuit 120 formed by the metal layer ML. In another embodiment, an etching layer composed of the second part of the metal nanowire layer NWL and a peripheral circuit 120 and a mark 140 composed of the metal layer ML can be formed on the peripheral area PA (please refer to the second part Figure, Figure 2A and Figure 2B), the etching layer may include a first cover C1 and a second cover C2, the first cover C1 is disposed on the corresponding peripheral circuit 120, and the second cover C2 is disposed on the corresponding Mark on 140. In one embodiment, the simultaneous etching of the metal nanowire layer NWL and the metal layer ML means that the ratio of the etching rate to the metal nanowire layer NWL and the metal layer ML is about 0.1-10 or 0.01-100.

According to a specific embodiment, when the metal nanowire layer NWL is a nanosilver layer and the metal layer ML is a copper layer, the etching solution can be used to etch copper and silver. For example, the main component of the etching solution is H ₃ PO ₄ (proportion It is about 55% to 70%) and HNO ₃ (the ratio is about 5% to 15%) to remove copper material and silver material in the same process. In another specific embodiment, additives may be added to the main component of the etching solution, such as an etching selection ratio adjuster, to adjust the rate of etching copper and silver; for example, the main component may be H ₃ PO ₄ Benzotriazole (BTA) is added to HNO ₃ (approximately 55% to 70%) and HNO ₃ (approximately 5% to 15%) to solve the problem of copper over-etching. In another specific embodiment, the main component of the etching solution is ferric chloride/nitric acid or phosphoric acid/hydrogen peroxide.

In the step of patterning, it may further include: simultaneously patterning the metal nanowire layer NWL in the display area VA. In other words, as shown in Figure 1C, the etching mask formed by the patterned layer PL (that is, the first patterned layer) can be matched Cover, using the aforementioned etching solution to pattern the first part of the metal nanowire layer NWL in the display area VA to make the touch sensing electrode TE of this embodiment in the display area VA. The touch sensing electrode TE can be electrically connected to the periphery Lead 120. Specifically, the touch sensing electrode TE can also be a metal nanowire layer including at least a metal nanowire, that is, the patterned metal nanowire layer NWL forms the touch sensing electrode TE in the display area VA. The first cover C1 is formed in the peripheral area PA, so the touch sensing electrode TE can achieve electrical connection with the peripheral lead 120 for signal transmission through the contact between the first cover C1 and the peripheral lead 120. The metal nanowire layer NWL also forms a second cover C2 in the peripheral area PA, which is disposed on the upper surface 144 of the mark 140. The mark 140 can be widely interpreted as a pattern with non-electrical functions, but not as a pattern. limit. In some embodiments of the present invention, the peripheral lead 120 and the mark 140 may be made of the same metal layer ML (that is, the two are the same metal material, such as the aforementioned electroless copper layer or sputtered copper layer); The touch sensing electrode TE, the first covering C1 and the second covering C2 can be made of the same metal nanowire layer NWL.

In a variant embodiment, the metal nanowire layer NWL located in the display area VA and the peripheral area PA can be patterned by different etching steps (that is, using different etching solutions), for example, on the metal nanowire layer NWL When it is a nano-silver layer and the metal layer ML is a copper layer, the etching solution used in the display area VA can be an etching solution that can only etch silver. In other words, the etching rate of silver by the etching solution is greater than about 100 times, about 1000 times, or about 10000 times of the copper etching rate.

According to a specific embodiment, the patterned layer PL is selected to be retained in the junction The material in the structure, in other words, the patterned layer PL will not be removed after the above-mentioned etching step. For example, the patterned layer PL can be a photocurable material with high light transmittance, low dielectric constant, and low haze to maintain the TE penetration of the touch sensing electrode in the display area VA at about 88% -94%, haze is about 0-2, sheet resistance is about 10-150 ohm/square (ohm/square), the photoelectric characteristics of the patterned layer PL make the patterned layer PL and the metal nanowire layer NWL The combination meets the requirements of optical and touch sensing in the display area VA. In this embodiment, a curing step (such as UV curing) can be included. After curing, the touch sensing electrode TE of the display area VA and the patterned layer PL can form a composite structure, and the composite structure is preferably conductive For example, the visible light (such as a wavelength between about 400nm-700nm) of the composite structure can have a light transmittance (Transmission) greater than about 80%, and a surface resistance (surface resistance) of about 10 to 1000 ohm/square (ohm/square); preferably, the visible light (for example, the wavelength is between about 400nm-700nm) of the composite structure has a light transmittance (Transmission) greater than about 85%, and the surface resistance ) Is between about 50 to 500 ohm/square.

In addition, the patterned layer PL and the metal nanowire layer NWL (such as the first cover C1, the second cover C2 or the touch sensing electrode TE) can form a composite structure and have certain specific chemical, mechanical and optical properties. For example, to provide the touch sensing electrode TE, the first covering C1, the second covering C2 and the substrate 110 adhesion, or better physical mechanical strength, so the patterned layer PL can also be called a matrix (matrix) . On the other hand, use Some specific polymers make the patterned layer PL, so that the touch sensing electrode TE, the first covering C1 and the second covering C2 have additional surface protection against scratches and abrasion. In this case, the patterned layer PL can also be referred to as an overcoat, which uses polyacrylate, epoxy resin, polyurethane, polysiloxane, polysiloxane, poly(silicon-acrylic acid), etc. to make touch sensing electrodes TE, the first cover C1 and the second cover C2 have higher surface strength to improve scratch resistance. However, the foregoing is only to illustrate the possibility of other additional functions/names of the patterned layer PL, and is not intended to limit the present invention. It is worth noting that the drawings in this document draw the patterned layer PL, the touch sensing electrode TE, the first cover C1, and the second cover C2 as different layers of structure, but in one embodiment, they are used to make patterns The polymer of the patterned layer PL can penetrate between the metal nanowires to form a filler before being cured or in a pre-cured state. After the polymer is cured, the metal nanowires will be embedded in the patterned layer PL. In other words, the present invention does not limit the structure between the patterned layer PL and the metal nanowire layer NWL (for example, the first cover C1, the second cover C2 or the touch sensing electrode TE).

FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of the touch panel 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are cross-sectional views taken along the line A-A and B-B of FIG. 2, respectively. Please refer to FIG. 2A first, as shown in FIG. 2A, the peripheral lead 120 and the mark 140 are both disposed in the peripheral area PA, and the first cover C1 and the second cover C2 are respectively formed and cover the upper surface 124 of the peripheral lead 120 And the upper surface 144 of the mark 140, and the patterned layer PL is retained on the first cover C1 and the second cover C2 after the etching process described above. In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal naphthalene The rice noodles can be silver nanowires. For the convenience of description, the cross section of the peripheral lead 120 and the mark 140 is a quadrilateral (for example, the rectangle drawn in FIG. 2A), but the side 122 and the upper surface 124 of the peripheral lead 120, and the side 142 and the upper surface of the mark 140 The structure and number of 144 can be changed according to actual applications, and are not limited by the text and drawings in this article.

In this embodiment, the mark 140 is set in the bonding area BA of the peripheral area PA, which is a docking bit mark, that is, in the step of connecting an external circuit board, such as the flexible circuit board 170, to the touch panel 100 (Ie, the bonding step) is used to mark the position of the flexible circuit board 170 and the touch panel 100 (please refer to Fig. 2). However, the present invention does not limit the placement position or function of the mark 140. For example, the mark 140 can be any check mark, pattern or label required in the process, which is within the protection category of the present invention. The mark 140 may have any possible shape, such as a circle, a quadrilateral, a cross, an L shape, a T shape, and so on. On the other hand, the portion of the peripheral lead 120 that extends to the bonding area BA can also be referred to as a bonding section. Similar to the previous embodiment, the upper surface of the connection portion in the bonding area BA is also covered by the first cover C1. cover.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the peripheral area PA, there is a non-conductive area 136 between adjacent peripheral leads 120 to electrically block the adjacent peripheral leads 120 to avoid short circuits. In other words, there is a non-conductive area 136 between the side surfaces 122 of the adjacent peripheral leads 120, and in this embodiment, the non-conductive area 136 is a gap to isolate the adjacent peripheral leads 120. Using the patterned layer PL, the above-mentioned gap can be formed by an etching method, so the side surface 122 of the peripheral lead 120 and the side surface of the first cover C1 C1L is a common etching surface and aligned with each other, that is, using the printed side surface of the patterned layer PL as a reference, the side surface 122 of the peripheral lead 120 and the side surface C1L of the first cover C1 are based on the patterning in the same etching step The printed side surface of the layer PL is formed so that the printed side surface and the common etching surface are aligned with each other; similarly, the side surface 142 of the mark 140 and the side surface C2L of the second cover C2 are a common etching surface and are aligned with each other, and the patterned layer PL The printed side of the same is aligned with the common etching surface. In one embodiment, the side surface C1L of the first cover C1 and the side surface C2L of the second cover C2 will not have the metal nanowires on them due to the above-mentioned etching step. Furthermore, the patterned layer PL, the peripheral leads 120, and the first cover C1 will have the same or similar patterns and dimensions, such as long and straight patterns, and the same or similar widths; the patterned layer PL, the mark 140 It also has the same or similar pattern and size as the second cover C2, such as a circle with the same or similar radius, a quadrilateral with the same or similar side length, etc., or other the same or similar cross, L-shape, T Shape and other patterns.

As shown in FIG. 2B, in the display area VA, there is a non-conductive area 136 between adjacent touch sensing electrodes TE to electrically block the adjacent touch sensing electrodes TE to avoid short circuits. In other words, there is a non-conductive area 136 between the side walls of adjacent touch sensing electrodes TE, and in this embodiment, the non-conductive area 136 is a gap to isolate the adjacent touch sensing electrodes TE; In one embodiment, the above-mentioned etching method can be used to form the gap between adjacent touch sensing electrodes TE, so the printed side surface of the patterned layer PL and the etched side surface of the touch sensing electrode TE are aligned and coplanar. In this embodiment, the touch sensing electrode TE and the first cover C1 can use the same layer The metal nanowire layer NWL (such as the silver nanowire layer) is made, so at the junction of the display area VA and the surrounding area PA, the metal nanowire layer NWL will form a climbing structure to facilitate the metal nanowire The layer NWL is shaped and covers the upper surface 124 of the peripheral lead 120 to form the first cover C1.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the first cover C1 of the touch panel 100 is disposed on the upper surface 124 of the peripheral lead 120, and the first cover C1 and the peripheral lead 120 are formed in the same etching process, so the reduction or Avoiding the need for setting the bit error area in the process, so as to reduce the width of the peripheral area PA, so as to achieve the narrow frame requirement of the display. Specifically, the width of the peripheral leads 120 of the touch panel 100 of some embodiments of the present invention is about 5um to 30um, and the distance between adjacent peripheral leads 120 is about 5um to 30um, or the peripheral leads 120 of the touch panel 100 The width is about 3um to 20um, the distance between adjacent peripheral leads 120 is about 3um to 20um, and the width of the peripheral area PA can also reach a size less than 2mm, which is about 20% or less than the traditional touch panel products. More frame sizes.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the touch panel 100 further has a second cover C2 and a mark 140. The second cover C2 is disposed on the upper surface 144 of the mark 140. The second cover C2 and the mark 140 are in the same etching process. In molding.

Figure 3 shows the assembly structure of the flexible circuit board 170 and the touch panel 100 after alignment, wherein the electrode pads (not shown) of the flexible circuit board 170 can be made of conductive glue (not shown, such as anisotropic conductive The glue) is electrically connected to the peripheral lead 120 of the bonding area BA on the substrate 110. In part In the embodiment, the first cover C1 located in the bonding area BA may have an opening (not shown), and the peripheral lead 120 may be exposed. A conductive adhesive (such as anisotropic conductive adhesive) may be filled into the opening of the first cover C1. The peripheral lead 120 is directly contacted to form a conductive path. In this embodiment, the touch sensing electrodes TE are arranged in a non-staggered arrangement. For example, the touch sensing electrode TE is an elongated electrode extending along the first direction D1 and having a width change in the second direction D2, and does not intersect each other. However, in other embodiments, the touch sensing electrode TE It may have an appropriate shape, and should not limit the scope of the present invention. In this embodiment, the touch sensing electrode TE adopts a single-layer configuration, in which the touch position can be obtained by detecting the change of the capacitance value of each touch sensing electrode TE. Furthermore, the patterned layer PL and the touch sensing electrode TE will have the same or similar pattern and size, such as the above-mentioned elongated electrodes extending along the first direction D1 and having varying widths in the second direction D2. The drawings are the same or similar in size.

The present invention can also apply the above method to both sides of the substrate 110 to produce a double-sided touch panel 100. For example, it can be produced in the following manner: first, a substrate 110 is provided, which has a predefined peripheral area PA and a display District VA. Next, a metal layer ML is formed on the opposite first and second surfaces (such as the upper surface and the lower surface) of the substrate 110, and the metal layer ML is located in the peripheral area PA; and then a metal nanowire layer NWL is formed on the second surface respectively. The peripheral area PA and the display area VA of the first and second surfaces; then a patterned layer PL is formed on the metal nanowire layer NWL on the first and second surfaces respectively; then the first and second surfaces are performed according to the patterned layer PL The patterning step to form the touch sensing electrode TE on the first and second surfaces And the peripheral lead 120, and the first covering C1 will cover the peripheral lead 120. The method of forming the patterned layer PL in this step may be to use a flexographic printing process to respectively provide the patterned layer PL on the metal nanowire layer NWL on the first and second surfaces, as shown in FIG. 4. Since this embodiment does not need to go through the yellow light process (exposure and development, etc.), there is no problem of mutual influence/interference between the double-sided processes, which is beneficial to simplify the process and improve the yield. For the specific implementation manner of this embodiment, reference may be made to the foregoing, and details are not described herein again.

Figure 5 is a touch panel 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It includes a substrate 110, and touch sensing electrodes TE formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 110 (ie, the first touch panel formed by the metal nanowire layer NWL). The sensing electrode TE1 and the second touch sensing electrode TE2) and the peripheral circuit 120 formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 110; for the sake of brevity, Figure 5 does not show the first and second coverings C1, C2 and patterns化层PL。 The layer PL. Viewed from the upper surface of the substrate 110, the first touch sensing electrode TE1 of the display area VA and the peripheral circuit 120 of the peripheral area PA are electrically connected to each other to transmit signals; similarly, viewed from the lower surface of the substrate 110, the display The second touch sensing electrode TE2 of the area VA and the peripheral circuit 120 of the peripheral area PA are electrically connected to each other to transmit signals. In addition, as in the foregoing embodiment, the first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the second touch sensing electrode TE2 are respectively formed with a patterned layer PL (as shown in FIG. 5A); the peripheral circuit 120 is composed of a metal layer ML, on which A first cover C1 and a patterned layer PL are formed (also shown in FIG. 5A). The present embodiment may further have a mark 140 and a second cover C2 corresponding to the mark 140 disposed on the peripheral area PA of the substrate 110. For details, please refer to the foregoing content.

Please refer to FIG. 5 in conjunction with the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 5A. In one embodiment, the first touch sensing electrode TE1 is substantially located in the display area VA, and it may include multiple ones extending in the same direction (such as the first direction D1) The long and straight sensing electrodes are etched away, and the etch-removed area can be defined as a non-conductive area 136 to electrically block adjacent sensing electrodes. Each sensing electrode has a patterned layer PL, and the first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the patterned layer PL have corresponding patterns. In one embodiment, the first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the patterned layer PL have a substantial The same pattern is the above-mentioned long straight strip shape, and the first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the patterned layer PL have sides or sides aligned with each other. Similarly, the second touch sensing electrode TE2 is roughly located in the display area VA, which can include a plurality of long and straight sensing electrodes extending in the same direction (such as the second direction D2), and the removed area can be defined as non- The conductive area 136 electrically blocks adjacent sensing electrodes. Each sensing electrode has a patterned layer PL. The second touch sensing electrode TE2 and the patterned layer PL have a corresponding pattern. In one embodiment, the second touch sensing electrode TE2 and the patterned layer PL have substantially the same pattern, such as the above-mentioned long straight strip. The two touch sensing electrodes TE2 and the patterned layer PL have sides aligned with each other). The first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the second touch sensing electrode TE2 are interlaced in structure, and the two can form the touch sensing electrode TE for sensing touch or controlling gestures.

Referring to FIGS. 6A to 6C, the touch panel in another embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured in the following manner: First, a substrate 110 is provided, on which a pre-defined peripheral area PA and a display area VA are provided. Next, a metal nanowires layer NWL is formed in the peripheral area PA and Display area VA; then a metal layer ML is formed on the peripheral area PA (as shown in Figure 6A); then a patterned layer PL is formed on the metal nanowire layer NWL (as shown in Figure 6B); and then patterned according to the patterned layer PL , To form a patterned metal layer ML and a metal nanowire layer NWL (as shown in Figure 6C). The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment is at least in the forming sequence of the metal layer ML and the metal nanowire layer NWL. In other words, this embodiment first produces the metal nanowire layer NWL, and then produces the metal layer ML. The specific implementation of this step can refer to the foregoing. For example, the method of forming the patterned layer PL can use a flexographic printing process to provide the patterned layer PL on the metal layer ML and the metal nanowire layer NWL; The pattern of the patterned layer PL is transferred to the metal layer ML and the metal nanowire layer NWL.

In this embodiment, the flexographic printing technology can also be used to directly pattern the material on the workpiece, such as the metal layer ML in this embodiment. In this embodiment, a photoresist material is used to make the patterned layer PL; specifically, a photoresist with a viscosity of about 300-1000 cp and a solid content of about 50-80% can be selected, such as resin-based phenolic resin, acrylic resin, Epoxy resin series, etc.; and thermosetting materials can be selected, and the thermosetting conditions can be curing temperature less than 130 degrees and curing time less than 60 seconds. In one embodiment, a photoresist with acid etching resistance can be selected to directly perform the subsequent etching process.

After the step of patterning, it further includes a step of removing the patterned layer PL. In a specific embodiment, it can be stripped off by an organic solvent or alkaline remover, such as KOH, K ₂ CO ₃ , Propylene Glycol Methyl Ether Acetate (PGMEA) and the like. In other words, after the above-mentioned etching step, the patterned layer PL will be removed without remaining in the structure of the product.

For other detailed manufacturing methods of this embodiment, reference may be made to the foregoing, and will not be repeated here.

Please refer to FIG. 7, which shows the touch panel 100 completed by the embodiment of the present invention (with the patterned layer PL removed). FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are the AA and BB cross-sectional states in FIG. 7, respectively. In this way, the AA profile can be seen in the peripheral area PA, and the BB profile can be seen in the peripheral area PA and the display area VA. As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the metal nanowire layer NWL and the metal layer ML located in the peripheral area PA can form voids (ie, non-conductive regions 136) after an etching step (such as the one-time etching described above), namely In the peripheral area PA, an etching layer formed by patterning the metal nanowire layer NWL and a peripheral circuit 120 formed by the metal layer ML are formed; since the etching layer is located between the peripheral circuit 120 and the substrate 110, it can be called The first middle layer M1, in other words, there is a first middle layer M1 that is also patterned under the peripheral lines 120, and there is a non-conductive area 136 between adjacent peripheral lines 120; furthermore, the side surfaces 122 of the peripheral leads 120 are The side surface M1L of the layer M1 is a common etching surface and is aligned with each other, that is, the side wall of the patterned layer PL is used as a reference in the patterning step, and the side surface 122 of the peripheral lead 120 and the side surface M1L of the first intermediate layer M1 are in It is shaped according to the sidewall of the patterned layer PL in the same etching step. Since the structural layer of the peripheral area PA is patterned in the same step, the traditional bit alignment step can be omitted, thereby reducing or avoiding the need for setting bit error areas in the process, thereby reducing the width of the peripheral area PA , And then meet the requirement of narrow frame of touch panel/touch display.

In another embodiment, the peripheral area PA may have an etching layer composed of a metal nanowire layer NWL and a peripheral circuit 120 and a mark 140 composed of a metal layer ML, and the etching layer may include a first intermediate layer M1 and the second intermediate layer M2. The first intermediate layer M1 is arranged between the peripheral circuit 120 and the substrate 110, the second intermediate layer M2 is arranged between the mark 140 and the substrate 110, and the side surface 142 of the mark 140 is connected to the second intermediate layer M2 The side surface M2L is a common etching surface and is aligned with each other.

As shown in FIG. 7B, in the display area VA, the metal nanowire layer NWL also uses the patterned layer PL as an etching mask, and the touch sensing electrode TE is formed in the aforementioned patterning step. In this embodiment, the metal nanowire layer NWL is patterned to form voids to form non-conductive areas 136 between adjacent touch sensing electrodes TE. Furthermore, the touch sensing electrode TE can be electrically connected to the peripheral circuit 120 through the metal nanowire layer NWL extending to the peripheral area PA.

In another embodiment, the aforementioned touch panel 100 may include a film layer 130 or a protective layer. For example, FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the film layer 130 formed on the embodiment shown in FIG. 7B. In one embodiment, the film layer 130 comprehensively covers the touch panel 100. For example, the film layer 130 may be disposed in the display area VA and the peripheral area PA to cover the touch sensing electrode TE, the peripheral circuit 120 and/or the marking Above 140. As shown in the figure, in the peripheral area PA, the film layer 130 covers the first peripheral circuit 120, and the film layer 130 fills the non-conductive area 136 between adjacent peripheral leads 120, that is, adjacent peripheral leads 120 There is a filling layer made of the same material as the film layer 130 in the non-conductive area 136 therebetween. In addition, corresponding to a single group As far as the peripheral leads 120 and the first intermediate layer M1 are concerned, the film layer 130 surrounds the single set of the peripheral leads 120 and the first intermediate layer M1 corresponding to each other up and down. Similarly, in terms of a single set of corresponding marks 140 and the second intermediate layer M2, the film layer 130 will surround the single set of corresponding marks 140 and the second intermediate layer M2.

In the display area VA, the film layer 130 covers the touch sensing electrode TE, and the film layer 130 fills the non-conductive area 136 between adjacent touch sensing electrodes TE, that is, adjacent touch sensing electrodes TE The non-conductive area 136 between the electrodes TE has a filling layer made of the same material as the film layer 130 to isolate adjacent touch sensing electrodes TE.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the material of the film layer 130 may be a non-conductive resin or other organic materials. For example, the film layer 130 may be polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or polypropylene. Vinyl butyral (Polyvinyl butyral; PVB), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene; ABS), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy) Thiophene) (PEDOT), poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PSS) or ceramic materials, etc. In an embodiment of the present invention, the film layer 130 may be the following polymer, but is not limited thereto: polyacrylic resin, such as polymethacrylate (for example, poly(methyl methacrylate)), polyacrylate And polyacrylonitrile; polyvinyl alcohol; polyester (for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyester naphthalate and polycarbonate); polymers with high aromaticity, such as phenolic resins Or cresol-formaldehyde, polystyrene, polyvinyl toluene, polyvinyl xylene, polyimide, polyimide, polyimide imine, polyether imide, polysulfide, polyvinyl toluene, Polyphenylene and polyphenyl ether; polyurethane (PU); epoxy resin; polyolefin (such as polypropylene, polymethylpentene and cycloolefin); cellulose; polysiloxane and Other silicon-containing polymers (such as polysilsesquioxane and polysiloxane); polyvinyl chloride (PVC); polyacetate; polynorbornene; synthetic rubber (such as ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) , Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (EPDM); and fluoropolymers (for example, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene (TFE) or Polyhexafluoropropylene); copolymers of fluoro-olefins and hydrocarbon olefins, etc. In other embodiments, silica, mullite, alumina, SiC, carbon fiber, MgO-Al ₂ O ₃ -SiO _2. Inorganic materials such as Al ₂ O ₃ -SiO ₂ or MgO-Al ₂ O ₃ -SiO ₂ -Li ₂ O. In some embodiments of the present invention, the film layer 130 is formed of an insulating material. In part of the present invention In embodiments, the film layer 130 can be formed by spin coating, spray coating, printing, etc. In some embodiments, the thickness of the film layer 130 is approximately 20 nanometers to 10 microns, or 50 nanometers to 200 nanometers, or 30 to 100 nanometers, for example, the thickness of the film layer 130 can be approximately 90 nanometers or 100 nanometers.

In addition, similar to the foregoing, the film layer 130 can form a composite structure with a metal nanowire (such as a touch sensing electrode TE) to have certain specific chemical, mechanical and optical properties, such as providing a metal nanowire and a substrate 110 Adhesion, or better physical mechanical strength, so the film layer 130 can also be called a matrix. It is worth noting that the drawings in this article will 130 and the touch sensing electrode TE are drawn as different layers, but the polymer used to make the film layer 130 can penetrate between the metal nanowires to form a filler before being cured or in a pre-cured state. After the material is cured, the metal nanowire will be embedded in the film layer 130, that is, the present invention does not particularly limit the structure between the film layer 130 and the metal nanowire layer NWL (such as the touch sensing electrode TE). It should be noted that the film layer 130 or the protective layer can be applied to the embodiment of the present disclosure, and is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7B.

Fig. 9 shows the double-sided touch panel manufactured in the embodiment of the present invention. It can be manufactured in the following manner: first, a substrate 110 is provided, on which a pre-defined peripheral area PA and a display area VA are provided. Next, a metal nanowire layer NWL is formed on the first and second opposite surfaces of the substrate 110 (such as the upper surface and the lower surface), respectively, on the peripheral area PA and the display area VA of the first and second surfaces; then the metal layer ML is formed , And the metal layer ML is located in the peripheral area PA; then a patterned layer PL is formed on the metal nanowire layer NWL and the metal layer ML on the first and second surfaces respectively; then the first and second surfaces are performed according to the patterned layer PL Patterning to form the first touch electrode TE1, the second touch electrode TE2 and the peripheral lead 120 on the first and second surfaces, and the peripheral lead 120 will cover the first intermediate layer M1. The embodiment of the present invention may further include removing the patterned layer PL. For the sake of brevity, Fig. 9 does not show the first intermediate layer M1.

The specific implementation of this step can refer to the foregoing. For example, the method of forming the patterned layer PL can use a flexographic printing process to provide the patterned layer PL on the metal nanowire layer NWL and the metal layer ML on the first and second surfaces, respectively. . And because this embodiment does not need to go through the yellow light process (exposure and development, etc.), so There is no problem of mutual influence/interference between the double-sided process, which is beneficial to simplify the process and improve the yield.

Please refer to Figure 9 and Figure 9A, the first touch electrode TE1 is formed on one side of the substrate 110 (such as the upper surface), and the second touch electrode TE2 is formed on the other side of the substrate 110 (the lower surface), so that the first touch The control electrode TE1 and the second touch electrode TE2 are electrically insulated from each other; and the peripheral lead 120 electrically connected to the first touch electrode TE1 covers the first intermediate layer M1; in the same way, the peripheral lead 120 connected to the second touch electrode TE2 The peripheral lead 120 covers its corresponding first intermediate layer M1. The first touch electrode TE1 is a plurality of elongated electrodes arranged along the first direction D1, and the second touch electrode TE2 is a plurality of elongated electrodes arranged along the second direction D2. As shown in the figure, the elongated touch sensing electrode TE1 and the elongated touch sensing electrode TE2 extend in different directions, but are intersected with each other. The first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the second touch sensing electrode TE2 can be used to transmit control signals and receive touch sensing signals, respectively. From then on, the touch position can be obtained by detecting the signal change (such as the capacitance change) between the first touch sensing electrode TE1 and the second touch sensing electrode TE2. With this configuration, the user can perform touch sensing at each point on the substrate 110. The touch panel 100 of this embodiment may further include a film layer 130, which comprehensively covers the touch panel 100, that is, the film layer 130 is provided on both the upper and lower sides of the substrate 110 and covers the first touch electrode TE1 , On the second touch electrode TE2 and the peripheral leads 120, and the film layer 130 also covers and fills the upper and lower non-conductive areas 136 of the substrate 110.

Similar to the foregoing embodiment, any surface (such as the upper surface or the lower surface) of the substrate 110 may further include the mark 140 and the second intermediate layer M2.

FIG. 10 is a schematic top view of a touch panel 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. This embodiment is similar to the previous embodiment. The main difference is that: in this embodiment, the touch panel 100 further includes a mask wire 160 disposed in the peripheral area PA, which mainly surrounds the touch sensing electrode TE and the peripheral lead 120, and The shield wire 160 extends to the bonding area BA and is electrically connected to the ground terminal on the flexible circuit board 170. Therefore, the shield wire 160 can shield or eliminate signal interference or electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, especially A small current change caused by a human hand touching the connecting wires around the touch device.

According to the aforementioned manufacturing method without removing the patterned layer PL, the mask wire 160 and the peripheral lead 120 can be made of the same metal layer ML (that is, the two are the same metal material, such as the aforementioned electroless copper plating layer), The metal nanowire layer NWL (or the third covering layer) and the patterned layer PL are laminated on it, and are made after etching according to the pattern of the patterned layer PL. It can also be understood that the mask wire 160 includes For the composite structure layer of the patterned layer PL, the metal nanowire layer NWL, and the metal layer ML, please refer to the description of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B for details. In addition, according to the aforementioned method for removing the patterned layer PL, the mask wire 160 and the peripheral lead 12 can be made of the same metal layer ML (that is, the two are the same metal material, such as the aforementioned electroless copper plating layer) , And etch according to the pattern of the patterned layer PL, and then remove the patterned layer PL, so it can also be understood that the mask wire 160 includes a metal nanowire layer NWL (or third intermediate layer) and For the composite structure layer of the metal layer ML, refer to the description of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B for details.

In some embodiments, the touch panel 100 described herein can be manufactured by a roll to roll process. The roll to roll coating process uses conventional equipment and can be fully automated. Significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing touch panels. The specific process of roll-to-roll coating is as follows: first select a flexible substrate 110, and install the roll-shaped substrate 110 between the two rollers, and use the motor to drive the rollers so that the substrate 110 can run between the two rollers. The moving path of the continuity process. For example, the metal layer ML is deposited using a plating tank, a metal nanowire-containing slurry is deposited on the surface of the substrate 110 using a storage tank, a spray device, a brushing device, and the like, and a curing step is applied to form Metal nanowire layer NWL; forming patterned patterned layer PL (for example, using the aforementioned flexographic printing method) on the metal layer ML and/or metal nanowire layer NWL; patterning by etching grooves or spraying etching solution, etc. step. Subsequently, the completed touch panel 100 is rolled out by the roller at the end of the production line to form a touch sensor tape.

The touch sensor tape of this embodiment may further include a film layer 130, which comprehensively covers the uncut touch panel 100 on the touch sensor roll, that is, the film layer 130 can cover the touch sensor. The uncut touch panels 100 on the control sensor roll are cut and separated into individual touch panels 100.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the substrate 110 is preferably a transparent substrate. Specifically, it may be a rigid transparent substrate or a flexible transparent substrate. The material may be selected from glass and acrylic (polymethylmethacrylate; PMMA). , Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene Terephthalate (polyethylene terephthalate; PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), Cyclo Olefin Polymers (COP) ), transparent materials such as cycloolefin copolymer (COC).

The roll-to-roll production line can adjust the sequence of multiple coating steps along the moving path of the substrate as required or can incorporate any number of additional platforms as required. For example, in order to achieve an appropriate post-treatment process, pressure rollers or plasma equipment can be installed in the production line.

In some embodiments, the formed metal nanowires may be further subjected to post-processing to increase their conductivity. The post-processing may include process steps such as heating, plasma, corona discharge, UV ozone, pressure or a combination of the above processes. . For example, after the step of curing to form the metal nanowire layer NWL, a roller can be used to apply pressure thereon. In one embodiment, one or more rollers can be used to apply 50 to 3400 psi to the metal nanowire layer NWL. The pressure is preferably 100 to 1000 psi, 200 to 800 psi, or 300 to 500 psi pressure; and the above pressure application step is preferably implemented before the step of coating the film layer 130. In some embodiments, heating and pressure post-processing can be performed at the same time; in detail, the formed metal nanowire can be heated through one or more rollers as described above and heated at the same time. The pressure is 10 to 500 psi, preferably 40 to 100 psi; at the same time, heating the roller to between about 70°C and 200°C, preferably between about 100°C and 175°C, which can improve the conductivity of the metal nanowire. In some embodiments, the metal nanowire can preferably be exposed to a reducing agent for post-treatment. For example, a metal nanowire composed of silver nanowires can preferably be exposed to a silver reducing agent for post-treatment. The silver reducing agent includes A borohydride, such as sodium borohydride; a boron nitrogen compound, such as dimethylaminoborane (DMAB); or a gas reducing agent, such as hydrogen (H ₂ ). The exposure time is about 10 seconds to about 30 minutes, preferably about 1 minute to about 10 minutes.

The other details of this embodiment are roughly as described in the foregoing embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

The structures of different embodiments of the present invention can be mutually cited, and are not limited to the foregoing specific embodiments.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the mask used for etching is selectively disposed at a predetermined position on the metal nanowire layer NWL or/and the metal layer ML by directly setting the patterned layer PL, so there is no need to adjust The material of the planar patterned layer PL does not require additional patterning steps for the material of the patterned layer PL, so the effect of saving manufacturing costs can be achieved.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the patterned layer PL is used as an etching mask to make a two-layer structure (for example, the upper layer is a metal nanowire layer NWL and the lower layer is a metal layer ML, or the upper layer is a metal layer ML and the lower layer is a metal nano The rice line layer (NWL) can be etched at one time to make the peripheral leads and/or marks of the peripheral area, so the error space reserved in the alignment process can be avoided, and the width of the peripheral area can be effectively reduced.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in various embodiments as above, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone who is familiar with this technique can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention The scope of protection shall be subject to the scope of the attached patent application.

110: substrate

120: peripheral lead

136: Non-conductive area

PL: Patterned layer

PA: Surrounding area

VA: Display area

TE1: The first touch electrode

TE2: second touch electrode

TE: touch electrode

C1: first cover

Claims (20)

A manufacturing method of a touch panel, including: Providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a display area and a peripheral area; Disposing a metal layer and a metal nanowire layer, wherein a first part of the metal nanowire layer is located in the display area, and a second part of the metal nanowire layer and the metal layer are located in the peripheral area; Setting a patterned layer with a pattern; and A patterning step is performed according to the patterned layer, wherein the patterning step includes using an etching solution that can etch the metal layer and the metal nanowire layer to form a plurality of peripheral leads on the metal layer and simultaneously connect the metal layer The second part forms a plurality of etching layers. The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the patterning step further comprises using the etching solution to form the first part of the metal nanowire layer into a touch sensing electrode, and the touch sensing electrode is disposed on the In the display area of the substrate, the touch sensing electrode is electrically connected to the peripheral leads. The manufacturing method of the touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the patterned layer is formed by flexographic printing, relief printing, gravure printing or screen printing. According to the manufacturing method of the touch panel according to claim 1, the arranging the metal layer and the metal nanowire layer includes: Disposing the metal layer in the peripheral area; and Then, the metal nanowire layer is disposed in the display area and the peripheral area, the first part is located in the display area and formed on the substrate, and the second part is located in the peripheral area and formed on the metal layer. According to the manufacturing method of the touch panel according to claim 4, the arranging the metal layer in the peripheral area includes: selectively forming the metal layer in the peripheral area but not in the display area. According to the manufacturing method of the touch panel according to claim 4, the arranging the metal layer in the peripheral area includes: Forming the metal layer on the peripheral area and the display area; and Remove the metal layer located in the display area. The method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 4, wherein the arranging the patterned layer with a pattern includes arranging the patterned layer on the metal nanowire layer, the patterned layer and the metal nanowire layer Form a composite structure. According to the method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 4, the patterning step further includes using the etching solution to form a plurality of marks on the metal layer, and the etching layers include a plurality of first coverings and a plurality of second coverings. Each of the first coverings is arranged on the corresponding peripheral leads, and each of the second coverings is arranged on the corresponding marks. According to the manufacturing method of the touch panel according to claim 1, the arranging the metal layer and the metal nanowire layer includes: Disposing the metal nanowire layer in the display area and the peripheral area; and Then, the metal layer is disposed on the peripheral area, wherein the metal layer is located on the second part. According to the method for manufacturing a touch panel according to claim 9, the patterning step further includes using the etching solution to form a plurality of marks on the metal layer, and the etching layers include a plurality of first intermediate layers and a plurality of second intermediate layers. Each of the first intermediate layers is arranged between the corresponding peripheral leads and the substrate, and each of the second intermediate layers is arranged between the corresponding marks and the substrate. The manufacturing method of the touch panel according to claim 10, after the step of patterning, further includes removing the patterned layer. The manufacturing method of the touch panel as described in claim 1 further includes providing a film layer. The manufacturing method of the touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the manufacturing method can be performed on one side or both sides of the substrate. A touch panel, including: A substrate, wherein the substrate has a display area and a peripheral area; A plurality of peripheral leads are arranged in the peripheral area; A plurality of first coverings, the first coverings covering the peripheral leads; A touch sensing electrode disposed in the display area of the substrate, the touch sensing electrode is electrically connected to the peripheral leads, wherein the first coverings and the touch sensing electrode include metal nanowires; and A patterned layer is arranged on the first coverings and the touch sensing electrode in a patterned manner, and the patterned layer has a printed side surface. The touch panel according to claim 14, wherein the patterned layer and the first coverings form a first composite structure, or the patterned layer and the touch sensing electrode form a second composite structure. The touch panel according to claim 14, wherein the first coverings have a side surface, the side surface and a side surface of the peripheral leads are a common etching surface, and the common etching surface and the printing side surface are aligned with each other. The touch panel according to claim 14, further comprising a plurality of marks arranged in the peripheral area and a plurality of second coverings covering the marks, wherein the second coverings include metal nanowires. The touch panel according to claim 17, wherein the second coverings have a side surface, and the side surface and a side surface of the marks are a common etching surface, and the common etching surface and the printing side surface are aligned with each other. The touch panel according to claim 14, further comprising: a film layer. The touch panel according to claim 17, wherein the peripheral leads and the marks are made of metal materials.

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